SharePoint Q&A

What are content types?

Ans. A content type is a flexible and reusable WSS type definition (or we can a template) that defines the columns and behavior for an item in a list or a document in a document library. For example, you can create a content type for a leave approval document with a unique set of columns, an event handler, and its own document template and attach it with a document library/libraries. 

What is a SharePoint Feature? What files are used to define a feature?

Ans. A SharePoint Feature is a functional component that can be activated and deactivate at various scopes throughout a SharePoint instances, scope of which are defined as 1. Farm level 2. Web Application level 3. Site level 4. Web level Features have their own receiver architecture, which allow you to trap events such as when a feature is Installing, Uninstalling, Activated, or Deactivated. The element types that can be defined by a feature include menu commands, link commands, page templates, page instances, list definitions, list instances, event handlers, and workflows. The two files that are used to define a feature are the feature.xml and manifest file(elements.xml). The feature XML file defines the actual feature and will make SharePoint aware of the installed feature. The manifest file contains details about the feature such as functionality. 

What files gets created on a file system, when a Site collection is created?

Ans. Windows SharePoint Services does not create any files or folders on the file system when the site collection or sites are created; everything is created in the content database. The Pages for the site collection are created as instances in the content database. These instances refer to the actual file on the file system.

What is the difference between a site and a web?

Ans: A site in sharePoint is a site collection. It is an object of SPsite class in sharepoint. While a Web is simply a blank site within that site collection. Web is a Part of SPweb class, thus represents a site within a site collection.

What is CAML?

Ans. CAML stands for Collaborative Application Markup Language and is an XML-based languagethat is used in Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services to define sites and lists, including, for Eg, fields, views, or forms, but CAML is also used to define tables in the Windows SharePoint Servies database during site provisioning. Developers mostly use CAML Queries to retrieve data from Lists\libraries.

Why we use the properties.current.web instead of SPContext.Current.web in event receiver?

When we deploy project from Visual studio then we can use the SPContext.Current.web but when we use the powershell to activate or deactive the feature then we have to use properties.current.web beacuse there is no access of browser here.

What is the difference between Sandbox solution & farm solution?

We can create sandbox solution for particular site but not for the entire site collection or farm. It is not applicable for farm solution. There are some restriction while creating the sandbox solution.